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What We Know So Far About Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” [UPDATED]

When it was announced that James Gunn (left) would be tackling a reboot/sequel to 2016’s live action adaptation of Suicide Squad, fans were excited after the controversial firing of the filmmaker from Marvel Studios and the third installment of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Now, since then, there have been details that have been emerging on and off since the announcement of Gunn’s return to Warner Bros. (He wrote the big screen live action adaptation of Scooby Doo and its sequel Monsters Unleashed for the company). So through various sources including Screen Rant, /Film, THR, Variety, and Deadline among others, here is what we know so far about Gunn’s upcoming film, which is to be called The Suicide Squad:

1. Smith is Out, Elba is In (UPDATED)

It was announced that due to a schedule conflict, with production of the film due to begin in September, Will Smith will be unable to reprise his role of master marksman and hitman Floyd “Deadshot” Lawson. However, all is not lost as it was announced that Idris Elba (right) will take over the role of Deadshot. Elba joins Ryan Reynolds,Jared Leto, Tom Hardy, and Chris Evans to play characters in both DC and Marvel films. Elba played Asgardian warrior and the guardian of the Bifrost Heimdall in the Thor films and Avengers: Infinity War.

UPDATE: Variety has revealed that while Elba will still be in The Suicide Squad, he will NOT take on the role of Deadshot, but rather another character, which has not been revealed yet. (4/5/19)

2. Meet the New Squad

While the 2016 film had the New 52 line-up of Katana, Rick Flag, Enchantress, El Diablo, Captain Boomerang, and Killer Croc, Gunn is planning to use a lineup akin to the 1980s era of the comic book title. According to sources, the lineup will feature Deadshot and these characters (from left to right)

Nanuae, aka King Shark: a humanoid shark whose father is some sort of “shark god”.

Abner Krill, aka Mister Polka Dot: a mysterious man whose costume allows him to remove the polka dots, each of which contain anything from weapons to even an escape vehicle.

Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker: An agent who takes pacifism to an extreme, including death.

Ratcatcher: A former exterminator who has the power to control rats. While the character is male in the comic book, the film will pull a gender-reversal and the character will be a female.

3. Dave Bautista may reunite with James Gunn.

After Gunn’s firing from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, one of the most outspoken stars to support Gunn was Dave Bautista, who went as far as threatening to leave Marvel if they don’t at least use Gunn’s script for the third installment, where he would reprise his role of Drax the Destroyer. The good news is that while Gunn won’t direct GotG3, it has been confirmed by Kevin Feige that Gunn’s script will be used. However, it is possible Bautista may join the aforementioned Idris Elba as one to play both DC and Marvel characters as Gunn is courting Bautista to play the role of Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad.

4. Harley Quinn may possibly return.

While Margot Robbie‘s take on the character Harley Quinn proved to be one of the biggest pluses about the 2016 film, the question that remains to be answered is, will she return for The Suicide Squad? It is possible, but right now, Robbie and her comic alter ego are currently at work on Birds of Prey (and the Fantastical Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), which is being directed by Cathy Yan and will be released on February 7, 2020.

In addition, there may be a possibility both Viola Davis (look at #6 for an update) and Joel Kinnaman may return respectively as Amanda Waller and Rick Flag, but that’s all speculation as of now.

5. A release date has been set.

Warner Brothers and DC have announced a release date for The Suicide Squad. The film will be in theaters on August 6, 2021.

6. Amanda Waller and Captain Boomerang are returning.

The Wrap revealed through an inside source that Viola Davis, who played the mastermind Amanda Waller, will be returning to the role for Gunn’s film. In an interview with MovieWeb, Jai Courtney revealed that he will return as Digger Harkness, aka Captain Boomerang. (4/5/19)